See You In Court: The Annals of the Nutmeg Board appears in the CABE Journal, a publication of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Educations.
February 2012
“I don’t think so, Bruno” Bob shot back. “Each passing day deprives the children of Nutmeg of the excellent schooling to which they are entitled. We will vote tonight.” Bob signaled to Mr. Chairperson, who promptly called for a motion. Bob promptly moved that the Board adopt reform in Nutmeg in accordance with his plan. With no further discussion, the Board members voted unanimously in favor. Will the Board have any problems in implementing this reform plan?
January 2012
The next day, Bob delivered a handwritten petition signed by him and the three new Board members who had supported him. The petition demanded that Mr. Chairperson place on the agenda Bob’s proposals to amend the bylaws to restrict the authority of the Chairperson. However, Mr. Chairperson laughed and shot an email to the four Board members, telling them to “give it up.” Then Bob announced by email that he was calling a meeting himself. He even posted an agenda in Town Hall that included two items, “Amendment of Bylaws and Removal of the Board Chair.” By this time, Mr. Chairperson’s retaliatory behavior had antagonized the rest of the Board members, even his former supporters. As a result, everyone but the Chairperson attended the meeting Bob had called. Do these eight Board members have the right to take action at this “meeting”?
December 2011
Soon, the email was buzzing between and among the Board members. Bob’s ideas were generally acceptable, although Mal Content won the day with his suggestion that the Martin Luther King holiday be preserved, requiring that the Board add another day at the end of the year. By the time the Board held its meeting, everything was squared away, and a discussion that could have been contentious was short and sweet. By a unanimous vote, the Board adopted the calendar as revised. Bruno, President of the Nutmeg Union of Teachers, couldn’t believe his ears as the Board took its vote. “You can’t just add time to the school day!! You guys are crazy!!” he thundered. “I demand that you rescind your vote.”
November 2011
The Board members were taken aback by Paula’s vehement objection. After a quick huddle, the Board amended the plan by removing the requirement for reflection. While the Board hoped that this change would satisfy NUTS, it did not. “You people are asking for it,” shouted Paula after the vote. As she was being dragged from the podium, she continued. “The law says that we have the final say over teacher evaluation. After all, who is better able to judge teacher performance than the teachers themselves? You will be sorry you did this!” The Board members looked uneasily at each other as Paula was removed from the room. Should the Board reconsider this action?
October 2011
The parents of the first three students who were highlighted on the Facebook page for Nutmeg Memorial High School were delighted. The fourth - not so much. “What are you doing?!!!” the mother shouted at Mr. Superintendent over the telephone. “Who on earth told you that you could post my son’s picture on Facebook? My ex is crazy, and if he finds us, there is no telling what he will do.” She described her fear that her abusive ex would see the posting and find her and their son in Nutmeg. Mr. Superintendent apologized and promised to take the posting off the High School’s Facebook page right away. But he worried that the damage was done and that the district would be liable if the crazy ex did anything bad. Should he be worried?
September 2011
No one was more surprised than Mr. Superintendent at the news that Bob’s nephew Barry had been named high school principal. He had been on vacation and away from email for two weeks. However, the Board members were also surprised at the vehement negative public response over alleged nepotism. Nancy Newshound, ace reporter for the Nutmeg Bugle promptly interviewed the Board members, Mr. Superintendent and Barry about how the selection was made. Nancy was shocked to hear that the Board had made this decision without input from the Superintendent, and she decided to do some digging. She filed an FOIA request for any and all documents concerning the search process, including email communications. Can the Board deny the request on the basis that the search process was confidential?
July/August 2011
Next, the Board members conducted the expulsion hearing for Ned Nerd. Mr. Superintendent argued that Ned had engaged in cyberbullying of Joe, and that such conduct could not be tolerated. Aspiring to go to law school some day, Ned represented himself. He calmly questioned whether the Board had jurisdiction over his Facebook activity. “I would point out to the honorable members of the Board that we live in a free country, protected in our speech by the First Amendment, the touchstone of liberty. I submit that any attempt to silence me will result in a ginormous constitutional claim. In addition, my parents and I will not hesitate to bring suit for negligence and infliction of emotional stress based on your inadequate supervision of Joe, which of course led to my humiliation in school, for which I am in therapy.” Mr. Superintendent didn’t have much to say to that, and the Board was left to decide both cases. Who’s the bully here?
June 2011
At the next meeting of the Nutmeg Board of Education, Mr. Chairperson called an executive session to “discuss a confidential attorney-client communication” so that he could explain what had happened. Once the Board was in executive session, the Board vowed to fight Seymour’s complaints. Who is right here, the Board of Finance or the Board of Education?
May 2011
“Thank you, Bob. I appreciate your confidence in my plan. If we run into trouble, we can always ask for a supplemental appropriation.” The Board members winced at that last remark, because Seymour Dollars had already warned the Board that the cupboard is bare and they shouldn’t come back for more money this year. But they shook off their discomfort and voted for the plan. Do you see problems for the Nutmeg Board of Education in the coming year?
April 2011
When they saw the flyers, Seymour Dollars and the other Board of Finance members were livid. At the next meeting of the Board of Finance, Seymour revised his recommendation, and he moved that the appropriation to the Board of Education be reduced further to 15% below 2010-2011 levels. The Board of Finance promptly approved the motion, and Seymour Dollars called Mr. Board Chairperson on his cell phone then and there to give him the news personally. Mr. Board Chairperson called an emergency meeting of the Nutmeg Board of Education for the very next night. What should be on the agenda?
March 2011
After that unpleasant exchange, Mr. Superintendent was not surprised a few days later to receive a copy of the unfair labor practice charge filed by NUTS with the State Board of Labor Relations. But Mr. Superintendent smiled as he remembered from his school law course that boards of education do not have to bargain over the “length of the student school year [and the] the scheduling of the student school year.” Will the unfair labor practice charge from NUTS be dismissed?
February 2011
“Well, I think we should do whatever we can,” opined Mrs. Chairperson. “I am happy to ask Seymour Dollars and the Board of Finance for a supplemental appropriation, and Mr. Superintendent should freeze spending and talk vendors into delaying their billing. But I don’t want to cause a panic, at least not yet. So let’s agree to keep this conversation secret until we revisit this strategy in our next executive session. Thank you all for your creative ideas. I think we will get through this.” Is the Nutmeg Board of Education on the right track?
January 2011
This revelation gave rise to a heated debate, which the Chairman finally concluded by saying: “Well, I think our only choice is to fire Mrs. Principal, but our lawyer says that we have to give her a hearing first. The first step is to notify her that we are considering termination of her contract. Any objections? Hearing none, it appears that we’re in agreement that we should get the show on the road as soon as possible. Mr. Superintendent, please attend to the necessary paperwork.” The next morning, the headlines screamed, “WITCH HUNT IN NUTMEG, BOARD VIOLATES SUNSHINE ACT!” Is the headline a typical journalistic overreaction, or is the Nutmeg Board of Education in trouble?
December 2010
This evening, Nancy showed up at the Committee meeting and even helped herself to a slice of pizza. But Mal was adamant that she not receive a copy of the draft policy until the Committee makes its recommendation at a public Board meeting. Does the Ad Hoc Committee really have to keep Christmas out of the schools?
November 2010
“I have that covered as well,” Bob answered. “With global warming, I don’t anticipate more than three snow days in any event. However, we can either have the kids finish up in July or maybe get a waiver if need be. I mean what is the big deal about 180 days?” With no further discussion, the Board approved the proposed new calendar unanimously. Might the Board be haunted by its decision here?
October 2010
“He should have thought of that before he threw the food. I am not inclined to cut this kid any slack at all. I move that Joe be expelled for the entire year. And forget the expunging thing. We need to keep track of students like him.” Mr. Superintendent tried to explain to the Board that a deal is a deal, but Bob shushed him, saying that there was a motion pending. It passed unanimously. That night, Mr. Superintendent called the parents with the bad news. They did not take it well. Can they really sue, as they threatened?
September 2010
Bob couldn’t wait to pounce on that. In short order, he asked Ms. Student if Sammy was her son, if she had custody, if she lived in the neighboring town, and if she ever drove Sammy to her house after school. When Ms. Student admitted to these facts, Bob turned to his fellow Board members. “See. Sammy is not our responsibility. Ms. Student is the mother, and there is no evidence that she has given up her parental rights. Sammy should be living with his mother and go to school there. Since his mother is not a resident, neither is he. Case closed.” Some Board members were a little uncomfortable with the abrupt close of the hearing. But they did not dispute Bob’s cogent analysis, and the Board unanimously denied Ms. Student’s appeal. Did the Board get this one right?
July/August 2010
Mrs. Superintendent drove right over to the High School and told Ms. Chlorophyll to take down her Facebook page immediately. However, Ms. Chlorophyll was unrepentant. “Look, I have a First Amendment right to free speech and free association. Why don’t you just get your own Facebook page and leave me alone.” “That’s enough from you,” Mrs. Superintendent barked back. “Pack up your stuff. You are suspended until I can figure out what to do with you.” Was Mrs. Superintendent within her rights?
June 2010
Notwithstanding these arguments, the Board went ahead and heard all the information. After deliberating for five minutes, the Board reconvened and expelled Ellen for six months and ruled that she could not participate in the graduation ceremony. Attorney Alot vowed to bring an action for injunctive relief. What are his chances?
May 2010
A few days later, Charlee called Ms. Superintendent. “Don’t jerk me around,” she barked. “My request was clear – I want the information electronically, and I know it won’t cost you $350 to give it to me. If I don’t have the disk by noon tomorrow, I will haul you before the Freedom of Information Commission and have you fined.” “But why do you want the information like that,” asked Ms. Superintendent. “What possible use could you have for it?” “I don’t have to explain myself,” Charlee responded. “But I will. With the information in electronic form, NUTS will be able to propose new routes to save the Board money. You should be thanking me rather than giving me a hard time.” Does Ms. Superintendent have to provide the information electronically? What happens if she cannot respond by the following noon?
April 2010
The expulsion hearing had barely commenced, when the student’s lawyer, Bill Alot moved to suppress the evidence and to dismiss the case against his client. “The Administration has trampled on the constitutional rights of my client, by expropriating personal property and by conducting an illegal search. In addition, given that criminal charges are now pending, further proceedings here violate my client’s rights against double jeopardy and self-incrimination. Dismiss now or answer in federal court!” Should the Board grant Bill’s motion?
March 2010
The response was underwhelming, and only six teachers donated their salary increases to this fund. Since not even one teaching positions thus could be restored, the Board returned the funds to the six kind souls, and it went ahead with the planned layoffs. The Board was shocked, however, when it then received an unfair labor practice charge from NUTS, alleging interference with protected activity and individual bargaining. Did the Board do anything wrong here?
February 2010
The following week, Mr. Superintendent was shocked to receive twenty separate requests for transportation hearings, claiming that the transportation provided was not reasonable. He was even more shocked when Mr. Board Attorney told him that the Board would have to hold hearings on each of the parents’ complaints. Reluctantly, he sent an email to the Board members to inform them that they would have to hold all of these hearings within the next ten days. Bob promptly sent an email response to all, stating that the savings the Board was achieving more than justified the inconvenience of a few hearings. “Let’s start with Polly Parent,” he urged in his email. “Maybe a big fat ‘no’ to her will convince her followers to drop their claims.” Does Bob have a good idea here? More generally, do the Board members really have to conduct all these hearings for private-school parents?
January 2010
Mr. Principal’s quiet musings on Christmas past were interrupted when the telephone rang. “What on God’s green earth is going on there?” asked Mrs. Superintendent on the other end of the telephone. My Inbox is full of complaints about how you make the students celebrate Christmas no matter what religion they are.” “Those grinches should give it a rest,” responded Mr. Principal. “If you can’t celebrate Christmas in the schools, what can you celebrate?” Mrs. Superintendent was not mollified. “Look, I have enough trouble as it is, and I can’t risk getting the Board involved in this. Just knock it off with the Christmas celebrations. Maybe you can have a “Winter Solstice” celebration. “We are not Druids, you know,” responded Mr. Principal. “There is nothing wrong with a little holiday cheer, and our students would be very disappointed if we change our tradition. Who says we have to take ‘Christ’ out of Christmas? Or Christmas out of our school altogether? If you think you have trouble now, just wait!” “Hmmmm,” Mrs. Superintendent pondered. “I just don’t want to get sued. Maybe I’d better create a committee to straighten this out.” Can this committee save Christmas at Acorn Elementary? Should it?
December 2009
Mrs. Superintendent was having a tough year. First, there was the power failure at Median Middle School, and school was cancelled for a day. Then, the entire district was gripped with a swine flu epidemic, and schools were closed for three days. Now, the weather report was grim. Though early in the season, a Nor’easter was bearing down on Nutmeg, and the Weather Channel was predicting two days of heavy snow, with accumulation of up to two feet. It was the wrong decision. Under pressure from all quarters, Mrs. Superintendent had one last, bright idea. She filed a request with the Commissioner of Education, seeking waiver of the requirement that Nutmeg hold 180 school sessions. After all, who could have ever foreseen the troubles this year? Is a solution to Nutmeg’s problems at hand?
November 2009
The next day, there was a feature story in the Bugle about religious intolerance in Nutmeg. In addition to quoting the parents, the article included statements from Mal, who claimed academic freedom. Even veteran Board member Bob Bombast got in the act, and Nancy quoted him on the controversy: “Mal has been a problem for years, and this time he went over the line. He should be fired for his insensitivity.” Can you sort out the First Amendment issues here?
October 2009
Once in executive session, Vickie and the other parents poured out their hearts about how the health curriculum exposed their children to inappropriate materials. The Board members listened sympathetically, and Bob Bombast turned accusingly to Mr. Superintendent. “What is so important that you cannot accommodate the legitimate concerns of these committed parents?” But before Mr. Superintendent could respond, Bob turned to the other Board members. “Clearly, we need to protect the rights of these parents. I move that the health curriculum be revised to eliminate offensive material identified by these concerned parents.” After a brief discussion, the motion was seconded and adopted unanimously. Was the Board permitted to take such action, and how will it be implemented?
September 2009
With that, Bob stood up, gathered his papers and walked out. Penny looked apologetically at the NUTS team, shrugged her shoulders, and she and the other members of the Board team followed Bob out. Given the NUTS proposal and Bob’s response, what is the next step here?
July 2009
Mr. Superintendent was upset that one of his administrators, Able Assistant, would have the temerity to challenge the Board’s action. He called her right up and told her that the district would not be releasing any of the documents she requested, because they contain personnel file information that is exempt from disclosure under the FOIA. He also told her that she was on thin ice in filing a complaint. He abruptly ended the conversation by telling Able that he “would not forget this . . . .” Will the Board prevail in the complaint by Able Assistant? Do you see any other problems with the Board’s position?
June 2009
Pastor Paul was not happy. He mobilized the flock to protest Mrs. Superintendent’s decision. At the next meeting of the Nutmeg Board of Education, the room was packed with parishioners. One by one, they railed against the fact that the Nutmeg outfield wall promoted liquor but not God. They were so relentless that even Mrs. Superintendent was having second thoughts about her decision. Will Nutmeg have any legal problems with its fund-raising strategy?
May 2009
The day after the Board sent the letter, NUTS filed an unfair labor practice charge, alleging that the Board committed an unfair labor practice by "direct negotiations" with the bargaining unit. Does NUTS have a case here?
April 2009
Bob Bombast moved that the Board adopt a “Parent Choice” policy that would permit parents to visit the classrooms of their children when they wanted and to opt out of instruction as they saw fit and argued that nobody knows better than parents what their children need. The room erupted with applause, but to the dismay of the assembled throng, Mr. Chairperson ruled Bob’s motion out of order, given that the matter was not on the agenda. However, he earnestly promised the crowd that the Board would act promptly on Bob’s motion. What should the Board do?
March 2009
It was a short and unpleasant hearing. Tom testified as to his discomfort when Penny stopped by unannounced, and he complained that teachers should be safe in their classrooms without Board members snooping about. Penny interrupted him and told the Board members that she had to investigate a complaint that Tom was improperly displaying religious messages in the classroom in violation of the United States Constitution. The Board members promptly decided to deny the grievance. But they went a step further and directed Tom to take down his posters or face termination for insubordination. Do you have a problem with that?
February 2009
As Mrs. Superintendent feared, the Nutmeg Public Schools were a gloomy place when all the layoff notices went out. Sadly, the dark mood persisted as the Board’s budget was presented to the voters and repeatedly defeated. Mrs. Superintendent knew that most of the non-tenure teachers and many of the paraprofessionals would be rehired anyway, but as the spring turned to summer, she thought she had better defer recalling these employees until the Town finally approved a final Board budget. Did the Nutmeg Board of Education handle its budget challenges appropriately?
January 2009
Bob Bombast immediately shared his (unsolicited) ideas on how this found money should be spent. But he and his Board colleagues were shocked when Mr. Superintendent informed them that the Town of Nutmeg had other ideas. Seymour Dollars, venerable Chairperson of the Board of Finance, had notified Mr. Superintendent of his expectation that the Board would “promptly and forthwith remit to the Town Treasurer the proceeds of the recent auction.” Does the Town have any claim here?
December 2008
Even Bob Bombast was livid the next morning when Channel 12 played the audio from the meeting. The Board convened an emergency meeting that very night to discuss what to do about Nancy’s impertinence. “Nancy intentionally violated our directive, and by doing so, she abused our trust,” said Mr. Superintendent. After a lively discussion, the Board agreed to file a complaint against Nancy with the Freedom of Information Commission, seeking a ruling that Nancy should be barred from attending Board meetings for a month or two. Will the Board get a favorable reception from the Commission?
October 2008
NUTS is whining about how the teachers will now have to grade their own papers and make their own copies. In emails back and forth, the Board members all agreed that Mr. Superintendent should tell the teachers to quit complaining and start dealing with the new, tough times that we all confront. Can Mr. Superintendent tell NUTS to pound sand?
September 2008
The Board members expressed concern that the legal account was already overspent and asked whether it was really necessary to prohibit political signs and buttons. After further discussion, the Board decided that Mr. Principal's edict should be clarified, and Mr. Principal sent a revised memorandum that expressly limited the prohibition to the classroom. Is the Nutmeg Board of Education now safe from legal attack?
August 2008
Sadly, Bob Bombast lamented, the Board's role is to set policy, not to assign paraprofessionals to act as a bodyguard for Tommy, and he wished Pamela and Tommy good luck. With that, Mr. Chairman promptly called for a motion to adjourn and ended the meeting. Did the Board do its job here?
July 2008
Mr. Superintendent demanded that Sally take down her blog immediately, and she refused. She was suspended, and her parents hired legal counsel claiming that the Board had violated Title IX. Does Nutmeg have a problem here?
June 2008
Nancy Newshound, ace reporter for the Nutmeg Beagle shows up as an uninvited guest at a party hosted by Bob Bombast, a veteran member of the Nutmeg Board of Education. She is forced to leave, but she does not go quietly. After the party, she files her complaint with the FOIC. What advice would you give Bob?
May 2008
In the comfort of the executive session, Bob told his fellow Board members all about what his son Billy had told him. Other Board members asked some questions about Billy's report, but soon all the Board members were comfortable with their decision--Joe had caused the fight and should be expelled. Would you advise the Board to go forward with the planned expulsion?
April 2008
Through Bill, Mal’s demand was: rescind the directive, apologize to Mal, and give him the Department Head position. Otherwise, suit would be filed. What do you advise Mrs. Superintendent and the Board to do?
March 2008
Karl is asking that the Board provide a defense and indemnify him against any liability to Tom. What is the responsibility of the Nutmeg Board of Education here?
February 2008
Bill promptly moved that the non-renewal action be voided because poor Mr. Principal had been denied an impartial decision-maker. What should the Board do?
January 2008
Mr. Superintendent took charge. He was able to get a handle on district finances, and in two short months, he had made the necessary cuts and imposed the spending freezes necessary to avoid a deficit. Did Mr. Superintendent prevent the Board from violating the law?
December 2007
Mr. Superintendent insisted that he, as chief executive officer of the Board, had every right to attend the deliberations. How should the Board decide this case, and should Mr. Superintendent be there when it does?
November 2007
Nancy was not placated, however, and she threatened the Board with an FOI complaint. Should the Board be worried?
October 2007
He told Mrs. Superintendent that he and the other officers of the PTO would be quitting unless the Board of Education would provide written assurance that they would be protected if they were sued. What should the Nutmeg Board of Education do?
September 2007
Reluctantly, Bob agreed, and after a quick telephone call to the other Board members, he called back to announce that Ginny was expelled for the first semester. Did the Board have any other option?
July/August 2007
Sadly, however, Mal did not appreciate Mr. Superintendent's perspective, and soon Bill Alot had another client.
Given the recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court and the need for loyal employees, can the Board tell Bill Alot and his clients to pound sand?
June 2007
If the Board could show the Town that it has title to the disputed land, the Board hypothesized, the Town would back off. Has the Nutmeg Board of Education handled this matter appropriately?
May 2007
With that, the room erupted, with members of the Booster Club shouting in unison, "Witch Hunt!!" Ms. Chairperson cleared the room, and declared the hearing over. Is Coach Rock out in Nutmeg?
April 2007
That was enough for Mal Content, a fifth grader teacher and resident Luddite. He flatly refused to submit his lesson plans, and he claimed that Ned was violating his copyright to his lesson plans. Now, Mr. Principal was really confused. Does Ned have the right to post teacher lesson plans on the school website?
March 2007
However, when she received written notification of the Board’s vote not to renew her contract, Patty requested a hearing before the Board of Education on the non-renewal. Now what?
February 2007
Mrs. Superintendent strode right into the group and told the two students that they must leave school property immediately. The other students were horrified when one of them swore at Mrs. Superintendent, telling her to bug off because he was on public property. Before Mrs. Superintendent could call the police, however, the student just walked away slowly to his car, laughing with his friends. As she drove back to her office, Mrs. Superintendent started to worry. Had she made a mistake by not going through with the expulsion?
January 2007
As a consequence of Nancy’s actions, two candidates withdrew from further consideration, and the others ended up entering walking down the hall past Nancy and Sam with their jackets over their heads, mobster-style. Sam got the snapshots, and Nancy ran the story. To make matters worse, when the successful applicant was appointed, Nancy ran the same picture with her story, with the headline, "Mystery Man appointed!" Did it have to be this way?
December 2006
There was an awkward silence, as Bob Bombast’s remarks hung in the air. The other Board members were acutely aware that the public was watching carefully to see whether, in fact, they did care about children. Finally, Penny Pincher seconded Emilee’s motion, and the Board voted quickly, 8 to 1, to make the policy amendments proposed by Emilee. Has the Nutmeg Board of Education gone too far?
November 2006
His colleague, Red Cent, did not want another lawsuit, and he quickly responded by saying, "So moved." The Board then quickly passed the motion, and Polly left with good news for her son. How should the Nutmeg Public Schools have handled this whole matter?
October 2006
"He moved the question, and he and Penny voted that Joe is not entitled to attend the Nutmeg Public Schools, with Red abstaining." Is Joe done in Nutmeg?
September 2006
"I don't see why we are listening to this problem. This is an administrative issue. Mr. Superintendent, what is your recommendation?" What is the role of Nutmeg Board of Education here?
July/August 2006
"It was not long before Bob Bombast, veteran Board member, started in. He thanked a speaker for her comments, and he wondered aloud why Nutmeg could not retain the "good" teachers. Mr. Chairperson ruled Bob out of order, and Bill Alot leapt to his feet in protest." What is the role of the Board members in this hearing?
June 2006
" Several candidates gave unsatisfactory answers to the question concerning treatment, and the young woman with children seemed not to understand the demands of the position. The committee agreed with Bob’s suggestion that the committee reject all the candidates and start over." Does Nutmeg have a problem here?
May 2006
...Mr. Superintendent was surprised to see that letter again. It was attached to a lawsuit filed in federal district court alleging that Mr. Superintendent’s actions violated the First Amendment rights of the student editors and their advisor. Will Mr. Superintendent have to issue a retraction?
April 2006
" As the band played the alma mater, Mr. Principal wondered if he was in trouble." Was he? Oh, where do we start?
March 2006
How badly did the Nutmeg Board of Education muck up this important responsibility for student expulsion?
February 2006
" Mrs. Superintendent kept her mouth shut, but the Finance Director told her he needed to know where the funds came from. In any event, he said, he would have to bring this check to the Town Council to ask whether it would accept these funds and whether they would be credited to the account of the Board of Education." Can the Finance Director be right about this?
January 2006
" Grudgingly, Coach Rock agreed. However, at practice that evening he told Paul that he was off the team, explaining that he had been a "bad influence." Will Coach Rock get away with this?
December 2005
The other Board members applauded Ms. Chairperson’s creative approach, and even Mr. Superintendent was pleased. Will they turn up the heat in Nutmeg?
November 2005
Earnest Senior and his claque got up noisily and started to leave. At the door, however, Earnest turned around and shouted back, "This is not over!" Is it?
October 2005
Mr. Chairperson decided not to vote because the result would not be affected. Pamela was outraged at this turn of events. Should the Board pay Pamela off?
September 2005
“After twenty-five years on the Nutmeg Board of Education, Bob Bombast thought he had learned a thing or two about school law. One thing Bob clearly understood was the need to keep religion out of our public schools."
July/August 2005
“Mal was not cowed by Mr. Superintendent. He called the ACLU-Connecticut and reported what he perceived to be an egregious abuse of power. Who has the problem here - the Nutmeg Public Schools or Mal?
June 2005
“I checked with the Town Attorney. We understand that the Board of Education can use the fields during the school day, and usually we have no problem with that. But we could not ignore the request of the Twilight League. After all, they raised a pile of money for this project. Just tell those little girls to be patient.” What’s next for Nutmeg?
May 2005
Nancy pressed Mr. Principal, “Aren’t you violating the Free Exercise rights of these students? Why don’t you care about their rights?” ...“As Principal, I have to keep this hurtful nonsense out of our school, and I will be delighted to go to the Supreme Court if need be!” Will Mr. Principal get his wish?
April 2005
Mr. Superintendent protested to Bruno that the Board’s actions disadvantaged no one, but were simply some nice "extras" to show teachers R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Bruno just snorted, telling Mr. Superintendent that NUTS was not going to tolerate this direct attack on their status as the bargaining agent for the teachers. Should the Nutmeg Board of Education back off from its creative plan?
March 2005
...Board members were totally confused. They asked Mr. Superintendent about the "joints," but all he could say is that they were in police custody and that he did not know whether they had ever been field-tested. With that Bill demanded that the Board reject the recommendation for expulsion and let poor Joe return to the school he loved so very much. How should the Board members vote?
February 2005
The arbitrators were not impressed, and after noting in their award that "a deal is a deal," they accepted the union’s last best offers on the issues in dispute. Mayor Megillah was fit to be tied, and at his urging the Town Council rejected the arbitration award. Now what?
January 2005
Elmer Enigma ended the conversation with a simple threat – he told Nancy that if she even hinted that he had somehow been unethical here, he would sue her and the Bugle for millions. Should Nancy be worried?
December 2004
... Attillah did not go quietly. He railed against the "illegal conspiracy," and he handed over the gavel only when the resident trooper threatened him with arrest for disorderly conduct. Attillah remained defiant, however, as he walked out of the meeting, vowing legal action to recover his rightful position as Mr. Chairperson. Did the Nutmeg Board of Education act within its rights here?
November 2004
Bill Alot leapt to his feet. "You can’t do that! I have not even finished presenting my case. I have a safety expert who has important information for you." The Board denied the request on a unanimous vote. Bill Alot told the Board members that they had made a serious mistake, and that he would see them in court. How will he fare?
October 2004
Nancy Newshound, reporter for the Nutmeg Bugle, smelled a story. She made a written request under the Freedom of Information Act to inspect all e-mail communications by and between Board members for the last six months. Will Nancy get to read the juicy e-mails about Bob and Penny?
September 2004
[Bob Bombast] was intrigued recently to receive an anonymous e-mail claiming to alert him that Sam Spackle, the new maintenance supervisor, was a convicted felon. Bob was in Mr. Superintendent’s office the next day demanding to see Mr. Spackle’s personnel file. Does this convicted criminal have any rights here?
July/August 2004
When the Board reached the last agenda item, "Removal of the Football Coach," Bob led the charge. During the discussion on this motion, Bob argued that effective coaching should include winning once in a while, a feat that Coach Rock had not managed in some time. Will Coach Rock finally win at something?
June 2004
Mal Content is a social studies teacher at Median Middle School in Nutmeg, and he is always looking for a fight. When he received his summative evaluation for the 2004-2005 school year, he found one.
May 2004
Penny tearfully told the insurance consultant the next day that neither she nor the Board would be paying the bill, and he promptly brought suit against the Board as a whole and against Penny personally. Has the Board properly done its homework for negotiations here?
April 2004
Termination seemed extreme to the Board members, but they did not want to hang Mr. Superintendent out to dry. Mr. Chairperson asked if the Board could talk privately with Mr. Superintendent, but the union objected, claiming that the Board should remain neutral and make a decision on the evidence presented. What should the Board do?
March 2004
Mr. Superintendent breathed a sigh of relief after talking to Lou Laissez-Faire, a teacher at the high school. He quickly notified Bob and the rest of the Board members that Lou had planned the student trip to Ft. Lauderdale over spring break on his own, and that they do not have to worry because it is not a Board-sponsored field trip. Is Mr. Superintendent right?
February 2004
Mr. Principal sent Sally Slacker a letter warning her that she had better get back to work, because she was almost out of sick leave. Sally left him a voice mail message, however, telling him that he had better check out the fine print in Section 10-236a, because her absence following the "assault" should not be charged to sick leave. Can the Nutmeg Public Schools cut off Sally’s sick leave?
January 2004
The Board adopted the 2.5% increase in the budget and shipped it off to the Town, which promptly approved it. Mr. Superintendent was concerned, however, that the Board had put him in a spot. Did it?